freshwater32

What type fish are out there that look amazing, that aren't too hard for a starter to handle, that i should read about? I have learned fish have to adapt, so maybe someone could point me in a direction of 3 different ones that mesh well that are cool?
Whats a good magazine to start reading, or website? i have 40 g tank. all set up, with all proper attachments, how is that going to effect my electric bill? do i run the filter always during the stablizing process? will i always run the filter and bubbles..?
I am interested in this become a hobby of mine and want to start learning.. I want to read, and gradually become knowledgable. Any responses would be great.

thanks..

Pinkrblu

You're off to the right start. So many people stop by a pet store, or worse, walmart, and buy an aquarium kit, food, and a bag of fish. That usually ends in an empty aquarium sitting in the garage and a family full of people that hate fish.

Stop by the library and see what books they have. Reading about anything is kind of tricky. You will find one book that says to keep fish at a certain temp, another will give another temp, one will list a feeding regimine opposite the advice of another book.
I strongly recommend reading all the posts on here that pertain to cycling tanks. I always recommend borrowing some filter media from someone to kick-start your biological filter.

Yes, you will always run the filter. From the time you set up your tank forward, the filter should be running. The air bubbles are not as necessary...in fact, I don't use them at all with my tanks.

As far as starter fish, people frequently start with guppies because they are cheap, easy to keep and breed, and come in amazing colors and variations. Another fish people start with is neon tetras because they are pretty. Don't buy these yet. They are pretty, and the schooling behaviour is really neat to watch, but they have to have an established tank. Better to plan ahead and save room in the aquarium when stocking so that a few months down the road you can get an impressive school of them.


Post any questions you have as you go along. Remember, if you have a question about something, someone else might too. No question is too silly to ask and may just save the life of a fish.

freshwater32

Thank you for the imput. I need as much as possible. Anything on the electrical bill..??

Pinkrblu

I don't really know the actual impact on the electric bill. I have three daughters, and I am sure they waste more $ leaving lights on than the 5 (or is it 6?) tanks I have running right now.

Alsmom

Just a comment. I'm a newbie and I actually did buy a 10 gallon aquarium kit, fish and food from Walmart and found all of the products exceptional so far. The fish looked great--a lot better than they did at 2 local fish stores. I've had my system up and running for about 6 weeks now, just cycled and have 4 wonderful healthy platys. I don't think Walmart is the problem. I've never ran across a hobby in my life with so many varying opinions and so many "experts"!!!! You never know where to turn and what to believe. My suggestion is to read as much as possible and don't buy into one source of information. Although I'm new, it seems dilligence in your hobby is the key point. Good luck. I'm kinda in the same boat as you!

RubberFrog

I am glad Alsmom had a good experience with WalMart, but that doesn't mean that WalMart is a good place to buy fish.

Most chains (WalMart, Petsmart, etc) buy fish in huge bulk quantities and then distribute them to their stores. These fish never even get looked at or checked for any of the numerous diseases that fish can bring to your tank.

Find a nice local mom-n-pop that checks their fish individually before bringing them into your store. Do you pay a few bucks more? Sure you do. But the extra 2 or 3 bucks is a lot cheaperr than replacing all your fish when the diseased one from the chainstore slips in and infects your entire tank.

My electric bill seems to run about $25 more per month- and that's for a 95 gallon with a canister filter, 260 watts of light and a co2 reactor. Yours shouldn't be anywhere near that.

How long have you had this tank running? If it hasn't cycled (or if you don't know what "cycled" is) search for the sticky on cycling and make sure to do that first. It will save you a lot of trouble and grief in the long run to invest some time early on and let the tank cycle.

As far as "amazing" fish, I am particular to rainbows.

Good luck and enjoy!

Hooyaah

Yes, listen to the Frog, for he croaks great wisdom. Wally World is not the choice of the aspiring aquarist.

The impact on your electric bill of your aquarium set up should be less than if you stand with the refrigerator door open while you gulp milk from the carton. Q: Does anybody really do that?

In a week or so the bio-cycle of your aquarium should be established enough to add a few more fish. Never add more than a few medium sized fish at a time and NEVER pour them in the tank with the water that the came home in. Fish release stress hormones that can awaken dormant viruses, not to mention other pathogens floating in the same broth.

As a wise man said before, talk to the local tropical fish store owner or informed manager. They are usually in the business because the enjoy it, know about it, and love to talk about it. Speaking with a live person is so much more fun, not to mention it's interactive. I hope a book from the library never answers me directly or I've had too much coffee. Books are a great source at any rate, so read, read, and read some more.

Interest and perseverence are the keys to success; you have a great start!

Oh, I like Clown Loaches. They are playful and good scavengers who can thrive in just about any tropical community including both non and semi-agressive species. They do better like a poker hand, pairs or better.

Have fun!

Jay

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with some of what Hooyaah has posted.

IME two weeks is rarely enough time to completely cycle a new tank. Remember, it is the absence of Ammonia and Nitrite and a spike in Nitrate that signals a completed cycle.

It is true that fish release stress hormones, BUT, not into the tank water. They are released into the fishes circulatory system. The two most common are adrenaline and noradrenaline. These two hormones trigger physiological responses in the fish to help them deal with the shock or stress. The notion that these hormones somehow stimulate dormant pathological organisms in the tank water is just not so. Having said that, too much stress related hormonal response can damage a fishes immune system leaving it vulnerable to bacteria etc. its system would normally fight off.

Regards,
Jay